Known for acting in Calabasas’ monthly KYOTV videos, senior Theo Buckwald has taken on a new role behind the camera as the writer, director and producer of his first original film “Old Tricks.” The short film is a story that follows an old man’s encounter with a young robber. Buckwald hopes this film will help jumpstart his career in the entertainment industry.

Since he was 9 years old, Buckwald has been captivated by the art of filmmaking. Growing up with a father in the film industry, he would often visit the sets and find himself inspired by the magic of the cinema. Although many of his peers only think of him as an actor, Buckwald is ecstatic about the fact that people will get a glimpse of what he can do off-screen.

“I prefer being behind the camera,” said Buckwald. “An actor does not have as much control of the entire project as the producer or director. I consider find myself somewhat of a perfectionist. Directing and producing lets me control my project and oversee every element of its creation.”

Buckwald’s perfectionism is evident in “Old Tricks.” Reliant completely on actions and free of dialogue, the film takes an abstract approach of portraying the there is “more than meets the eye” theme. However, Buckwald does not intend for all of his films to be done in this style, and looks forward to developing a variety of different techniques.

“I want to take my audience to a new place in each film,” said Buckwald. “I never want to be known as a director who only does one kind of movie. I want to explore different stories and make my audiences feel and experience different things each time.”

Due to the fact that his films are so unique, Buckwald is well aware that he will receive both positive and negative feedback. However, he recognizes criticism as a struggle of being a young filmmaker and will not let the judgment of other’s change his passion for filmmaking.

Not only does Buckwald look forward to making more movies, he plans on managing the production company he recently started. He hopes Considerate-Man Productions will prosper for years to come. With his perfect balance of original ideas and endless determination, there is no denying that Buckwald is headed for a picture-perfect career in the industry.